Counting Stars
by fanficx
Summary: Somethings, no matter how little or insignificant they may seem, are destined to change your life. For Ani Skywalker, It was the day a Jedi, Human, Gungan and Droid stepped into her shop. TPM AU. Small genderbend. Rated T for some death later.


"Where should we look first?" She asks, a stone expression on her face. She was not happy with the Jedi. She was not happy with the Gungan. She was not happy with anything right now. Her planet was taken over, she had to flee, and now she was stuck on a remote desert planet called Tatooine looking for a T-14 Nubian hyperdrive! To make things worse, she knew for a fact that they wouldn't take Republic Credits here. If there was a place where the Republic had no influence, that was here. She had learned this in her Outer Rim history class, and if the Jedi wanted to really buy anything, he would need cold hard Druggats. But if she told him that, it would raise suspicions. A handmaiden wasn't supposed to know this kind of stuff, and she was supposed to be a handmaiden.

"Let us try a smaller shop. That one perhaps." The master responded, pointing to a opening in the side of a wall. She was very opposed to it, but even if she said anything, the Jedi would just comeback with a good reply, that would make her point invalid. As she, the Jedi and the Gungan headed into the opening, followed by the R2 unit that had accompanied them, she couldn't help but think that this was a very bad idea.

* * *

It's a boring day. Well, most of my days are boring. But this one, more than others. The life of a slave is what you would call boring. Wake up, say hi to Dad, run to Watto's shop while trying not to get trampled, then wait for customers. But there weren't any today. Normally there was at least someone who hadn't heard of Watto's unfair prices. As I think, I look around the dirty shop. There are droids everywhere, and most of them I fixed myself. The small table I'm sitting at is one of the few places to sit in here. Watto has wings, so apparently places to sit are worthless. I get up and move to the front desk. Just as I move, I hear people come in.

"Hi. What do you need?" I begin smoothly, sliding onto the counter Watto called a front desk, then I look up at the newcomers. They are quite the group. There is a Jedi, tall with long hair. A girl who looks a bit older than me, a strange looking creature with two long earlobes, and a R2 droid unit in blue and white.

"We need a T-14 Nubian Hyperdrive." The tall Jedi says, and I nod.

"WATTO! WE GOT OUTLANDERS!" I scream in Huttese, and the fat, old Toydarian comes in from his junk pile out back.

"What do ya want? If youse here for da money, I don't got it." He says in basic, eyeing them over.

"We need a T-14 Nubian Hyperdrive." The tall Jedi says, and Watto nods.

"We got that. Follow me out back." Motioning vaguely, he and the Jedi leave after the strange creature gets a warning to not touch anything. That leaves me, the girl, the droid and strange creature. After a few moments of silence and watching the creature examine droids with a confused look on his face, the girl turns to me.

"Aren't you a little young to be working at a shop like this?" The girl asks with a concerned expression on her face.

"Well I don't have a choice. Watto owns me and my dad. I'm a slave, you see." I tell her and her eyes get wide.

"A slave? I didn't know slavery still existed! What about the anti-slavery law the Republic passed a year ago?"

"Re-republic? What's that?" I ask and she seems to be in even more shock. After a few moments, realization floods onto her face. I'm not stupid, no matter what she may be thinking, and I'm gonna prove it.

"But I'm really good at fixing things! I'm also the only girl who can podrace! I'm the only human who can do it too!" I say, pride in my voice.

"Podrace? What's that?" She asks and I shake my head. You can't really explain podracing to someone who hasn't seen it.

"Maybe I could show you one day!" I exclaim and she smiles. I hear a loud noise behind me and I quickly turn around to see that the strange creature has activated a jumping droid. I watch him chase it for a bit, then I decide to help him out, because the Jedi would get rather mad, and we just broke our record of a month without deaths in the shop.

"Hit the big circle." Understanding, he grabs it and smacks the big circle, deactivating it. He looks so relieved, so I smile.

"Mesa thank you! Mesa Jar-Jar Binks! Whosa you?" He asks, with a thick accent I've never heard before. It is kind of hard to understand him, but eventually I figure it out.

"I'm Ani Skywalker." I introduce, and I turn to the girl, who is looking around the shop.

"What's your name?" I ask her and she turns to me then smiles.

"Padmé."

I smile back at her, then turn to the door. If I'm right, the Jedi should be storming out in- wait for it-

"Jar-Jar, Padmé, let's go. R2, come along now." The Jedi says, storming in from Watto's junk pile. People normally have this reaction, apparently because the prices are absurd. I don't know what that word means, but it apparently it isn't good.

"Bye Padmé! It was nice meeting you!" I say as she walks out.

"Bye Ani!" She replies, and then she is gone. That's sad. She seemed really nice. Maybe they will come back and decide to buy something.

I hear heavy breathing as Watto hovers into the shop. He seems half pleased and half disappointed with himself.

"How much did you charge them this time?" I ask him in Huttese. He rolls his eyes and motions for me to leave.

"Go. I've had enough of you for today." He tells me, motioning to the door. This happens a lot. He loses a deal, gets angry and tells me to leave. I've had worse though. One time he lost a deal so bad I couldn't enter the shop for three days. Not that I'm complaining. It gives me more time to work on the droid I'm building. I jump down from the counter and exit through the hole. Maybe I can catch up with the Jedi's group. It is sandstorm weather, and I should warn them of that. I hold my hand over my eyes, protecting myself from the two suns. I scan the crowd for them, to no avail. I consider giving up when I hear someone scream.

"Mesa sorry! Mesa no mean to hit you!" I hear from the street behind the shop. That's them alright.

* * *

**Alright. Thanks for reading! I really wanted to do this, and I know it's been done before, but I'm only genderbending Anakin and Palpatine. I'm switching Owen and Shmi. So what Shmi ends up being is married to Owen with Cleigg as the son. Thanks to my AMAZING Beta Talicor for dealing with all of my stupid questions. Leave a review telling me what you think!**

**-Xain**


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